Delegations from 25 African coffee-producing countries, along with representatives from consuming nations, will convene in Uganda next month for the highly anticipated second G25 Africa Coffee Summit (ACS).
KAMPALA, UGANDA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Next month, Uganda will welcome delegations from 25 African coffee-producing countries and several consuming nations for the highly anticipated second G25 Africa Coffee Summit (ACS).
Uganda will host the 2nd G25 #AfricaCoffeeSummit from 7th – 10th Aug, 2023 at The Speke Resort, Munyonyo. The theme is “Transforming the African Coffee Sector through Value Addition.”
This is a defining moment for Africa's coffee sector.@KagutaMuseveni @FrankTumwebazek pic.twitter.com/UO4ghoqyTL
— Uganda Coffee Development Authority (@CoffeeUganda) July 26, 2023
Organized by the Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO), the 3-day summit will take place from August 7 at the picturesque Speke Resort Munyonyo. The theme for this year’s summit is “Transforming the African Coffee Sector through Value Addition,” with a strong focus on promoting coffee consumption within Africa.
Previously held in Nairobi, Kenya, the ACS brings together prominent figures, including heads of state, senior government ministers, heads of coffee authorities, and representatives from African private sector groups, such as farmers, processors, exporters, roasters, and coffee associations.
The summit’s primary objective is to achieve a consensus on declaring coffee as a strategic commodity in alignment with the African Union Agenda 2063. By doing so, the summit aims to foster value addition and domestic consumption through increased awareness of coffee and its health benefits.
During the previous Nairobi Summit, a significant step was taken with the adoption of coffee as a strategic agricultural commodity in the AU Agenda 2063. This milestone was marked by the signatures of Peter Munya, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture (representing then-President Uhuru Kenyatta), and Frank Tumwebaze, Uganda’s Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (representing the Chairman of IACO).
The declaration empowers Africa to address challenges faced by coffee farmers and others along the value chain, united under the auspices of the African Union.
The summit will also call for urgent development of an evaluation framework to assess the socio-economic impact on coffee farmers and their journey out of poverty. Additionally, the enactment of the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) is sought to facilitate cooperation between African countries and encourage inter-African trade, thereby tapping into untapped coffee markets within Africa.
The motivation behind promoting increased coffee consumption within Africa and establishing the G25 annual summit was Uganda’s departure from the International Coffee Agreement (ICA) extension in early 2022. Uganda cited unfair terms set by the ICO (International Coffee Organization), allegedly influenced by global coffee consumers and processing countries.
These terms included unfair tariffs, restrictions on exporting processed coffee, and an outdated coffee classification system that failed to recognize ‘Ugandan Coffee.’
In response, President Yoweri Museveni encouraged African coffee-producing countries to emulate Uganda’s example and create a continental value supply chain. His vision is for African countries to consume their own coffee, reducing the need for excessive coffee exports to other regions.
Uganda, the second-largest coffee producer after Ethiopia, also holds the distinction of being the largest exporter, with an annual export volume of about 6 million bags, valued at around 850 million dollars.
Apart from fostering intra-African trade, the Uganda summit will address critical topics such as climate change’s impact on coffee production and the sector’s response to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Emmanuel Iyamuremye, Executive Director of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), believes hosting the 2nd African Coffee Summit will provide Uganda with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase its coffee to various African countries, deepening economic integration in the process.
“The privilege of hosting the 2nd African Coffee Summit in Uganda gives the country an unrivalled opportunity to market our coffee to a number of African countries, and deepen economic integration,” UCDA Executive Director, Emmanuel Iyamuremye said.
This summit serves as a pivotal platform for African coffee-producing states and institutions to come together, align actions, and commit to building resilient agricultural systems that advance sustainable development goals.
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